[ What his sword sees... And as if to answer the riddle for him, their swords cross and it sounds so much louder than it actually is. At first, he keeps silent, focusing on the sound of distant wind and the chimes they ride upon, the ambiance of Kyoto beyond this estate's walls... He focuses on it all, so he knows what to block out. With a deep breath through his nose, he gently exhales, bringing both hands to his sword, shuffling smoothly forward, trying not to make footsteps of his own as he pays attention for hers. ]
... .... .....
[ Then, ]
!
[ He swings, delivering a clean vertical slash through the air. But the very second that he does that? Steps. He hears a single step and suddenly, there's the clack of wood against wood. But there's reluctance in his slash despite the fact Ayaka blocks him. More importantly though...were his brows visible, they'd be furrowed right now as he envisions his sword in his hand despite the fact that he can't see it. He looks perplexed...but the reason why is: ]
When did I...?
[ Swing? Was it his fighting instincts? Or was his sword the one who saw everything for him? As if guiding him... He can't hear anything beyond the world around him and the Shirasagi Himegimi who continues to defend and test him. And as he continues to move and go through the motions, still overstepping and missing his strikes at first, every time he does? The second attempt seems to lead to success, by the guidance of his bokken.
There's still not complete unity, but for the first time since he ever started fighting with swords at all...it wasn't just his own raw skill and heightened senses that were guiding him. It was his sword. And with time, he starts landing more hits, paying attention as his hands move before his mind can even tell him how to move. The core of his fighting style remains, yet there's something lighter in the way he moves. Less of an aggressive stomp in closing any distance between himself and what he chases, but a glide of his feet, cool breathes in and out as he utters nary a battle cry.
Cloud may still have a lot of work ahead of him, but coupled with his own willpower and hard work? He was a prodigy of the sword. His trust in Ayaka is leading him to a connection he never would have considered before. ]
no subject
... .... .....
[ Then, ]
!
[ He swings, delivering a clean vertical slash through the air. But the very second that he does that? Steps. He hears a single step and suddenly, there's the clack of wood against wood. But there's reluctance in his slash despite the fact Ayaka blocks him. More importantly though...were his brows visible, they'd be furrowed right now as he envisions his sword in his hand despite the fact that he can't see it. He looks perplexed...but the reason why is: ]
When did I...?
[ Swing? Was it his fighting instincts? Or was his sword the one who saw everything for him? As if guiding him... He can't hear anything beyond the world around him and the Shirasagi Himegimi who continues to defend and test him. And as he continues to move and go through the motions, still overstepping and missing his strikes at first, every time he does? The second attempt seems to lead to success, by the guidance of his bokken.
There's still not complete unity, but for the first time since he ever started fighting with swords at all...it wasn't just his own raw skill and heightened senses that were guiding him. It was his sword. And with time, he starts landing more hits, paying attention as his hands move before his mind can even tell him how to move. The core of his fighting style remains, yet there's something lighter in the way he moves. Less of an aggressive stomp in closing any distance between himself and what he chases, but a glide of his feet, cool breathes in and out as he utters nary a battle cry.
Cloud may still have a lot of work ahead of him, but coupled with his own willpower and hard work? He was a prodigy of the sword. His trust in Ayaka is leading him to a connection he never would have considered before. ]